Hiv Aids
latest news & developments
LEN won’t sell itself: 6 lessons from HIV prevention pills
Lenacapavir offers game-changing, twice-yearly protection against HIV, but South Africa's experience with prevention pills proves an effective medicine won't sell itself. Here…
Would homegrown LEN cost more? Why SA should still make the HIV prevention jab
South Africa aims to manufacture the revolutionary six-monthly HIV prevention injection lenacapavir locally. Experts weigh the need for rapid, affordable access against building…
Want the six-monthly HIV jab? Here’s your nine-step clinic cheat sheet
A step-by-step guide to what really happens at the clinic when you go for lenacapavir, the new six-monthly HIV prevention jab, from initial testing to injection day.
Meet four people who got the HIV prevention jab
As South Africa rolls out the six-monthly HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir, four people from high-risk groups explain why they chose the shot over daily pills and what their…
No girl should face this alone: Why China and the UN are standing together for Lesotho's girls
In the remote highlands of Mokhotlong, Lesotho, adolescent girls and young women face a 'Triple Threat' of high HIV burden, pervasive gender-based violence, and early pregnancy.…
The unfinished fight for South Africa's young women
Seventy years after the historic Women's March, South Africa reflects on progress while confronting the ongoing challenges faced by young women today, from healthcare access and…
What The Polygamist gets wrong about HIV — and what would save lives in real life
The Netflix drama "The Polygamist" depicts Jonasi Gomora's death from an AIDS-related illness, but the article argues that HIV isn't the real villain. Instead, it's the denial,…
Power of partnership in HIV fight
South Africa has launched lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention medicine, marking a significant moment in the country's fight against the epidemic. This article reflects…
What the HLM must deliver for Africa
South Africa, a leader in HIV response with the world's largest antiretroviral treatment programme, advocates for sustained and predictable global resourcing at the High-Level…
Why the HLM matters: Civil society will not be a footnote in New York
The 2026 UN High-Level Meeting on HIV/Aids presents a crucial opportunity, but its success hinges on governments partnering with civil society, not just using them for optics.…
Why the HLM Matters: I was born with HIV – do not make decisions about me without me
A 22-year-old South African HIV activist, born with the virus, shares her powerful perspective on living with HIV and calls on world leaders at the High-Level Meeting on HIV/Aids…
Why the High-Level Meeting on HIV matters
Diagnosed with HIV in 2000 when it was a death sentence for many Africans, the author reflects on 25 years of the fight against the epidemic. Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting…
Why the HLM matters: The world cannot afford to lose this moment
The UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/Aids is set to address the alarming decline in political will and funding, which threatens to unravel decades of progress in HIV…
Three decades on: Assessing South Africa’s Progress since 1994
The democratic breakthrough of 1994 stands as one of the most significant political achievements of the modern era. Against the odds, South Africa chose negotiation over civil…
180 000 infections in 2024, 47 000 by 2045 — if SA rolls out the twice-a-year HIV prevention jab fast enough
The HIV prevention shot, lenacapavir, will be rolled out at South African clinics within the next couple of months and from 2027, the health department will also buy generics.…